“Careless litterers are wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems,” says Howitt. “The message is clear: we do not live in isolation from our environment. What goes around comes around.”

A 2010 study from the middle of the North Pacific Ocean found that 35 per cent of fish caught had been feasting on rubbish. The fate of our neighbours reminds us how bad it can get: seafood caught on the inner side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is no longer safe to eat, while anything caught outside the bridge can only be consumed in very limited doses.

The charity is urging kiwis to take personal responsibility for their litter. “The simple solution is up to all of us as individuals: reduce the amount of waste we create and what we must use, dispose of it properly,” says Howitt.

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